Introduction

Thyroid disease (TD) and other autoimmune conditions have an increased prevalence in coeliac patients and vice-versa(1,2). Serum transglutaminase antibodies in CD patients may have a role in the development of TD(3,4). The gluten free diet (GFD) could have a protective role in the development of coexistent autoimmune conditions in CD patients(5).

Aims/Background

The aim of this study is to explore the role of CD diagnosis and onset/reoccurrence of its symptoms on the diagnosis of TD.

Method

Retrospective analysis of medical charts from a cohort of coeliac patients (n=564) (median age 57 years, range 16-88 years).

Results

116 patients (20.6%) had co-existent TD. There was no statistically significant difference in the time span between diagnosis of both diseases when the patients were separated between those who were diagnosed TD first (n=32, median=15.5 years) and those who were diagnosed CD first (n=49, median=14 years) (p=0.824). There was a small positive correlation between the age of diagnosis of CD and the age of diagnosis of TD (r=0.275, n=84, p=0.012). This became a medium positive correlation when for some of the patients (n=33) the onset or re-occurrence of symptoms after a long period not following the GFD was considered as their age of diagnosis (r=0.366, n=84, p=0.001).

Conclusions

The onset of symptoms or non-adherence to the GFD seems to be more related to the development of TD in our sample than the age of diagnosis with CD.